Sports

Otlhagile misses Champions League trip

Kabelo Boranabi | Monday August 8, 2022 16:00

Bonang Otlhagile Double Action Ladies during the Total Energies CAF Womens Champions League COSAFA Qualifier match between Lesotho DF and Double Action Ladies at Chatsworth Stadium, Durban, on 30 August 2021 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
 
Bonang Otlhagile Double Action Ladies during the Total Energies CAF Womens Champions League COSAFA Qualifier match between Lesotho DF and Double Action Ladies at Chatsworth Stadium, Durban, on 30 August 2021 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Otlhagile is out with injury and she was omitted from the squad that left for South Africa on Friday. The Mares’ captain was injured on national duty at the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup Of Nations (WAFCON) held at Morocco.

Double Action’s coach, William Monene said despite Bebeto’s absence, the team is ready for battle in the Champions League finals to be held later this year. “The team has been preparing well since the end of the season until plating the DTCB Top 8 and winning it.

So we have been preparing for this tournament for a long time now, we have been in camp for two weeks. I am happy with the progress that the team is doing right now and do much better than last year. We reached the semi-finals last year and it is our intention to do better, any results that is better from last season would be a win for us,” said Monene.

“Captain Bebeto will not be traveling with us. She was injured in Morocco and she is not travelling with us. We will be playing our first game on Tuesday and the other game is on Thursday then we will proceed from there depending on the results,” Monene also said. Gaonyadiwe Otlametse will be filling in as an interim captain. Double Action will begin their Champions League adventure against the holders, Mamelodi Sundowns, tomorrow and will conclude the group stages matches against Costa Da Sol of Mozambique on Thursday.

The winner of the two groups will proceed to the final of the competition while the second place finishers will battle it out in the third place play off tie. Double Action remain the only local side to compete in the competition after making an appearance in the maiden tournament last year.

The team failed to proceed to the final of the tournament as they were knocked out in the semi finals. Double Action recently won the DTCB Top 8 championship.